Press-fit terminal and press-fit terminal connection structure of circuit board

Abstract

The press-fit terminal includes: a press-fit portion that is deformed in a width direction orthogonal to a press-fit direction into a through hole of a circuit board when the press-fit portion is press-fitted into the through hole; a slit that is formed in the press-fit portion and has a longitudinal direction matched with the press-fit direction into the through hole; and a contact portion, which is formed in a part on an imaginary line passing through a center of the slit in the longitudinal direction and extending in the width direction in the press-fit portion and comes into contact with an inner wall of the through hole by press-fitting the press-fit portion into the through hole. The shortest distance from the contour of the press-fit portion to the slit becomes largest in the contact portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A press-fit terminal, comprising:
 a press-fit portion that is deformed in a width direction orthogonal to a press-fit direction into a through hole of a circuit board when the press-fit portion is press-fitted into the through hole; 
 a slit that is formed in the press-fit portion and has a longitudinal direction matched with the press-fit direction into the through hole, the slit comprising two first linear portions extending in parallel and spaced at an interval in the width direction; and 
 a contact portion, which is formed in a part on an imaginary line passing through a center of the slit in the longitudinal direction and extending in the width direction in the press-fit portion and comes into contact with an inner wall of the through hole by press-fitting the press-fit portion into the through hole, a shortest distance from a contour of the press-fit portion to the slit becoming largest in the contact portion, wherein, 
 each first linear portion of the two first linear portions comprises a notch formed on the imaginary line such that the notches facilitate deformation of the press-fit terminal by pressing the press-fit portion into the through hole. 
 
     
     
       2. The press-fit terminal according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the contact portion is formed in a shape such that a difference obtained by subtracting a hole diameter of the through hole from a dimension in the width direction of the press-fit portion before press-fitting into the through hole becomes a maximum deformed amount in the width direction of the press-fit portion toward the slit by press-fitting into the through hole. 
 
     
     
       3. The press-fit terminal according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the press-fit portion is formed with a contour such that the shortest distance to the slit becomes smallest at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the slit. 
 
     
     
       4. The press-fit terminal according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the press-fit portion is formed with a contour such that a dimension in the width direction becomes largest in the contact portion. 
 
     
     
       5. The press-fit terminal according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a second linear portion, which is formed in a part continuous with the contact portion in the press-fit direction of the press-fit portion and has a dimension in the width direction that linearly decreases with a larger distance from the imaginary line in the press-fit direction, wherein 
 the contact portion is formed with a contour of a convex circular arc toward a side away from the slit. 
 
     
     
       6. A press-fit terminal connection structure of a circuit board, comprising:
 a circuit board on which a through hole is formed; and 
 a press-fit terminal press-fitted into the through hole, the press-fit terminal comprising:
 a press-fit portion that is deformed in a width direction orthogonal to a press-fit direction into the through hole when the press-fit portion is press-fitted into the through hole; 
 a slit that is formed in the press-fit portion and has a longitudinal direction matched with the press-fit direction into the through hole, the slit comprising two first linear portions extending in parallel and spaced at an interval in the width direction; and 
 a contact portion, which is formed in a part on an imaginary line passing through a center of the slit in the longitudinal direction and extending in the width direction in the press-fit portion and comes into contact with an inner wall of the through hole, a shortest distance from a contour of the press-fit portion to the slit becoming largest in the contact portion, wherein, 
 each first linear portion of the two first linear portions comprises a notch formed on the imaginary line such that the notches facilitate deformation of the press-fit terminal by pressing the press-fit portion into the through hole.